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Lions Club Pancake Day

The 56th Annual Duluth Lions Club Pancake Day down at the DECC is a staple in the community. It's all about fun, friends and, of course, flapjacks.

"It's a great time to come out and see the community support our cause, but also bring awareness to what we do," Duluth Lion, Jim Pratt, said.

Pratt heads down to the DECC in Duluth to help out each year. "My first Pancake Day, I came down to volunteer for two hours and ended up staying the all day," Pratt said, "And I've been doing it ever since."

After 56 years of Pancake Day there are many familiar faces. Bill Berglund and pal Denis Sauter say before retiring it wasn't always easy to sneak out for it. Now, they look around at all the other people playing hooky from their jobs, just to get hose delicious hot-cakes.

They say the food is so tasty, it's no wonder why folks are taking an extra long lunch break for it. "The Pancakes are always so good and the sausages are terrific," Berglund said.
"Any place you go where you can get strawberries on your pancakes is a plus," Sauter said.

There were also plenty of first-timers getting their flapjack fill. Emen Essien and Jennifer McGillan headed down to check out Pancake Day for themselves after hearing so much about it. "It looked good on T.V. So we decided to come down and check it out," Essien.

Folks start filing in around 6 a.m for breakfast and in continues until 8 p.m. with plenty of big rushes between. There are a plethora of pancakes accompanied by all of the fixings; butter, berries and sweet maple syrup.

It doesn't stop there. Community members get their fill with tasty sausage their choice of milk or juice and, of course, lots of coffee. All for just seven dollars.

Pancake Day brings in between $75,000 and $80,000 making it the Duluth Lions Club's major fundraiser of the year. All proceeds go back in the community to help people with hearing, sight and diabetes needs.

"We can't raise enough. Because every penny we raise, we can find a spot to send it," Pratt said.

About 100,000 folks from the area come out each year for the event. It proves pancakes are good for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but most importantly, it helps out a great cause.